Compact proximity focused vacuum tubes with GaAs(Cs,O) photocathodes are used for experimental studying spindependent phenomena. Firstly, spin-dependent emission of optically oriented electrons from p-GaAs(Cs,O) into vacuum in a magnetic field normal to the surface was observed in a nonmagnetic vacuum diode. This phenomenon is explained by the jump in the electron g-factor at the semiconductor-vacuum interface. Due to this jump, the effective electron affinity on the semiconductor surface depends on the mutual direction of optically oriented electron spins and the magnetic field, resulting in the spin-dependent photoemission. It is demonstrated that the observed effect can be used for the determination of spin diffusion length in semiconductors. Secondly, we developed a prototype of a new spin filter, which consists of a vacuum tube with GaAs(Cs,O) photocathode and a nickel-covered venetian blind dynode. Preliminary results on spin-dependent reflection of electrons from the oxidized polycrystal nickel layer are presented.

Date Published: 24 August 2009
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 7398, Spintronics II, 739818 (24 August 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.824868

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7398:
Spintronics II
Manijeh Razeghi; Henri-Jean M. Drouhin; Jean-Eric Wegrowe, Editor(s)